


Equanimity

by daily_stab_of_hunger666



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Age Difference, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Caring Hannibal Lecter, College Student Will Graham, Developing Relationship, Fluff and Smut, Hannibal Lecter Loves Will Graham, Hannibal Lecter is Not a Cannibal, Jealous Will Graham, M/M, Older Man/Younger Man, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pre-Relationship, Psychiatrist Hannibal Lecter, Slow Burn, Will Graham Loves Hannibal Lecter, eventually, rated mature for future chapters, slight sugar daddy implications
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-02
Updated: 2019-10-02
Packaged: 2020-11-15 10:09:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,195
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20864477
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/daily_stab_of_hunger666/pseuds/daily_stab_of_hunger666
Summary: Will Graham is a broke college student, who suffers from nightmares and anxiety.Hannibal Lecter is a wealthy and renowned psychiatrist and former surgeon.They meet because of gardening work, fate and Beverly Katz and slowly fall for each other.





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> First fic ever - whoop!  
I am terribly anxious, but I hope you'll enjoy! :)  
I do not own anything, I just love it!  
Please keep in mind that English isn't my mother tongue :P

# Chapter One

"Come on, Will... You need to get out of here!"

Beverly exclaimed loudly, accentuating the last three words each with a playful punch to Will's left shoulder. She was right. She was right almost all the time. He definitely needed to get out. Out of their tiny shared flat, out of his thoughts, just out of his self pity, his comfort zone. But that was the problem, wasn't it? It was comfortable in his shell, in his doubtful mind. He was comfortable staying and ordering in, pretending he was fine and not at all plagued with anxiety and nightmares, while drinking cheap beer and listening to Bev's newest gossip about her new college friends or hours long depictions of her newest boy-target.

Beverly Katz was good with socializing, good with people. She easily made tons of new friends and also lovers, which impressed Will just as much as it concerned him. They had been friends for a very long time now and she was the only person Will actually considered a true friend. He told her everything and never felt like hiding his troubles from her, like he hid them from everyone else in his life. Usually she responded to all of Will's sorrows and fears with tough love, as they say, but he knew that she cared deeply for him and his feelings. Their friendship was good, solid and the only thing Will actually trusted in and relied on. He liked college, liked learning and gaining knowledge but hated the people. All the strangers and all the expectations. He hated that.

Also, he was admittedly broke, which did not really bother him that much, Will's family had never had much money and he was used to having to hold his money together. But he was beginning to be concerned about paying rent, which he of course shared with Bev, who's family could be considered rich, at least from Will's point of view. Bev always affirmed him to relax about money, saying she could pay for his share of rent for a few months and he could pay her back later. But Will did not like that idea at all. He set his mind on getting a job, trying to find something that involved as little as possible human interaction. He had been dog walking for a time now, but the money was little and he got a bad review on the website he used. The review stated that he was unfriendly and this particular dog owner was scared to let him take his dog. Will was not very surprised, yet pissed about this and since that incident, no requests had come in for him to sit any dogs. He deleted his profile and sulked for a few days.

Until now, at least. It seemed that now he had annoyed Bev long enough.  
"You need to get a job, you want a job, don't you?" She said, looking at Will like she was talking to a child.  
"Yeah… Yes, I do want a job... It's just tha-" Will tried, but was quickly cut off my his eager friend again.  
"No, Will! This is a great job, pretty good pay and you don't even have to talk to people!"  
"Says who?" Will countered, "I might have to... It's just not the right thing, Bev…"  
"William Graham, you are going to take this job and you're going to be the nice, friendly young man you are and who knows, maybe these rich people will even give you some tips? You have no idea what lonely, rich, old women would give for a pretty pool boy like you.." She grinned mischievously.  
"Great, Bev, That sounds like an awesome job. Besides, it's not a pool boy job. I'd have to mow the lawns for wealthy people." Will huffed, but nonetheless reached for the laptop and scrolled up and down the website, pretending to read the job description. Bev was right, he knew that. It seemed like a pretty easy job for a pretty good amount of money. And tips, he flinched. No, he surely would not get tips. Not that he wanted any.  
"So, you're gonna do it, Graham?" Bev asked while putting on some makeup, still sitting on Will's bed.  
"Yeah… I guess it won't hurt to try?"  
"Great!" She applauded, then got up from the bed and getting her jacket and purse.  
"I'm out then, sure you don't wanna come?"  
"Positive," he said. "have fun, Bev." He smiled and waved awkwardly as she made her way to the door of their apartment.  
"Sure thing, bye!" She said, stepping outside the door, just to quickly sticking her head in again.  
"And don't forget to sign in on this job, mister pool boy!" She winked and left for good.

Will audibly sighed. He loved her deeply, but she was a pain in his ass for sure. Nevertheless, he pulled the laptop onto his lap and began to sign in as a member to mowmylawn-collegejobs.com.

This was going to be dreadful, Will thought as he closed his laptop, waiting for his first job request.


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will begins his job mowing lawns in a rich neighborhood and gets a job offer from one mysterious Docter...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter!  
I am so happy that it seems to be doing well, so I am excited to continue!  
I hope you will like and enjoy it :)

# Chapter Two

Will surprisingly liked his new job pretty much.  
He was getting used to the work, enjoying the time he spent outside and by himself quiet a lot. The slow humming of the machine, the scent of freshly cut grass and the solitude were a welcome difference from the loud and noisy classrooms that smelled like people and dust. Every Thursday and Saturday he had two to three clients each, all wealthy and busy people with gorgeous houses and beautiful backyards. He took on other simple tasks, like pruning the trees or digging up the beds. It brought in a little more money and he didn't mind the work. 

Will did not see much of the clients themselves, probably because they were almost never home, due to business trips and weekend meetings, he supposed. It wasn't like he was complaining, the less human interaction, the better. On the last Saturday Will had worked though, one of his clients, Mrs. Berkeley, a widow in her late sixties, had come up to Will and told him about one of her neighbors, who had inquired about her fetching new horticulturist. His words, she insisted with a smirk. She gave Will a cream colored business card, made out of thick to the touch paper, which Will concluded must have been quite expensive. It read: Dr. Hannibal Lecter, MD. in cursive, dark brown writing, followed by a telephone number and an address, which Will knew, because it was just two housed from Mrs. Berkeley's.

Will hat often looked and that house. It was huge, but not as obviously pretentious as the majority of the estates on this street. Maybe more sophisticated. The walls looked thick and indestructible, but also welcoming in a way Will could not quite understand. The heavy maroon colored door always stood out from the light stone color of the masonry and caught Wills attention frequently.

He thanked the elderly lady and finished up his work. Mrs. Berkeley had told Will that the Doctor had asked her to tell him that he would be glad to hear from him and that he desperately needed someone to take care of his garden. On his way back home after work he mused about contacting the man. He had enough clients, though he did not like some of them, so maybe he could stop working for them and start working for him. Him. Hannibal Lecter. What a strange name, Will thought and unlocked his front door.

That was almost three days ago, and Will still had not contacted the Doctor. Mostly, because he hated calling people and talking on a telephone, but he did not know the mans work schedule, obviously, and had no desire to risk knocking at his door at an unsuitable time. So he just stared at the card instead, that was laying next to his computer he should be doing his homework on. He could not concentrate though and it did not help when Beverly came storming into his room and started to babble unfiltered nonsense about some girl named Sue and her boyfriend, who had apparently flirted with Bev.

"What's up, loser?" She asked, sensing Will's detachment and stopping her rant.

"Nothing. I'm just trying to write my-"

"Uh-huh, and what do we have here, Mister Pool Boy?" She interrupted Will and snapped the card out of his hands, looking at it with one raised eyebrow and her signature playful smirk.

"Again, nothing. Just a possible future client…"

"Hannibal? Who's name is Hannibal? What does he look like? European?"

"I have no idea, Bev."

"Wait, you don't know him? Haven't seen him? Have you called yet?"

"No, no… and no." Will admitted and told Beverly how he got the card from the old lady.

"I just hate talking on a phone, it's…"

"…somehow even more personal, yeah, I know Willie-boy. But seriously, call him. You can use the money and he asked for you, oh no, he inquired about you, especially. Bet Mister Fancypants's gonna pay you a pretty penny, if you smile real nice." She wiggled her eyebrows and Will had to laugh, even though she annoyed him pretty badly. 

"Alright, mom. I'm gonna call him. Leave me alone now, would you?"

"Sure. I'm ordering pizza, want some?"  
"Yeah, pepperoni. Thanks." And with that he was left alone, staring at the haunting card again. Bev was right though, again. He needed to call the Doctor. He sighed heavily, before reaching for his phone and typing in the number. Before hitting the call button he took a look at the clock, mid afternoon, good time to call, he thought and pushed the button. It rang two times before a deep, rumbling, quite heavily accented voice answered the phone.

"Hello. Dr. Hannibal Lecter speaking. May I ask who is calling?"

Will's breath got caught in his throat, due partly to his always present anxiety, but also due the fact tat he had never heard such a soothing voice before. He also was never before so effected by a simple introduction and greeting. There was a first time for everything, right?

"Hello?" Those heavy Ls made Will's tongue go numb. He coughed.

"Yeah, uhm… uh, hi…My name is Will Graham…"

"How very nice to make your acquaintance, Mr. Graham. Is there anything I can help you with?" Will was not entirely sure if the man on the other end of the line was mocking him, or if he was imagining the smirk in his voice.

"Uh, yea-yes, actually. You, uhm, you asked Mrs. Berkeley about me…"

"Ah, yes. You must be the young man I have spotted all around the neighborhood, mowing the lawns. William, was it?"

"N-no, well… yes, but everyone just calls me Will, so-"

"-So I will call you by your real name, if you allow me to?"

"Uh… Sure?"

"Splendid. It would be quite the shame to waste a syllable of such a lovely name, don't you think?"

"I-I guess? I don't-"

"Well then, dear William, you may have guessed the reason of my inquiry. I have seen your work in the backyards of my neighbors and I am quite delighted by your efficiency and accuracy. So much so that I simply had to at least try to woo you way, as they say. I would enjoy it tremendously seeing you work in my backyard, William. Do you think that would be possible?"

Will was completely done at this point. Sure, all his clients were affluent and could be pretty pretentious at times, but he had never heard someone talk like that. And with that kind of voice. Sounding nonchalant yet entirely attentive and also kind of… flirty? No, he imagined that, for sure. He focused on building an actual sentence and closed his eyes, almost squinting.

"Y-Yes. Yes, that sounds gre-good, I mean, it sounds good… Uhm… When would you like me to start?"

Well done Graham, he thought, that sounded not at all like a frightened ten-year-old.

"What would your thoughts about this Thursday be, say, 5pm? I believe I am right in my assumption that you usually work on that day and around that time anyway?"

"You would be… I mean, you're right. That, uhm, that's good, yeah. I'll be there."

"Excellent, William. I am more than glad."

"Yeah, m-me too… uhm…"

"I will see you Thursday then. Goodbye, sweet William."

"Uh-" But that's where the line went dead and Will stared at his phone.

Sweet William? He repeated the words in his head over and over again. It still sounded weird. The whole call was weird, he thought. Even more weird than he already was, calling strangers on the phone. Thursday then, 5pm. His head hurt even thinking about it. When he heard the doorbell ring and Bev's excited "Pizza time!" Scream, he was more than relieved. Pizza, a cold beer and watching a silly tv show with Bev sounded just like the thing he needed right now, he thought and threw his phone onto his bed, joining Bev on the couch.

Thursday could wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please keep in mind, that English is not my first language.. There are probably a number of mistakes, please tell me so I can fix them!  
Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it so far! <3

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading and have lovely day!


End file.
